


Silver Light Might Bring The Dawn, But That Can't Happen When It's Gone

by TigressJade



Series: Shadows Over Brooklyn AU Drabbles [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: A sort of worse case scenario, Alec as a Downworlder Knight, Alec comes back to find all hell has broken loose, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angel of Brooklyn, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Parent Maryse Lightwood, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Bad Parenting, Clary and Jace get in plenty of trouble, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Gen, I may rewrite this concept at some point, M/M, Malec, Malec Monday, Multi, Other, Why Jace should never be left in charge of the Institute, alls well that ends well, and make it double, but not THE worst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 04:55:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15502761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigressJade/pseuds/TigressJade
Summary: AU. Where Alec wasn’t there when Clary showed up on Jace’s radar and comes back from a diplomatic trip to find that not only has Valentine Morgenstern returned, but the Inquisitor has decided to have his sister deruned. He tries to salvage the situation the only way he can think of, by putting himself at the mercy of the High Warlock of Brooklyn Magnus Bane in hopes of saving his sister and an almost impossibly broken political situation between the Clave and the New York Downworld.





	Silver Light Might Bring The Dawn, But That Can't Happen When It's Gone

Alec isn’t there when Clary shows up on Jace’s radar. He’s on one of those diplomatic learning trips that Robert and Maryse were using to groom him into the perfect leader and put him very near some very eligible very well connected shadowhunter girls, one of which is Lydia Branwell. Alec doesn’t propose to her, though he does gain her as a mutually beneficial political contact.

So, Golden Boy Jace is left in charge of the Institute while Lightwoods are away and is leading the team with Izzy at his side when he suddenly finds Clary and chooses to bring her into the fold. Clary is granted runes and is beyond anxious to find her mother and get as much information as she can on the world she’s been kept from. Unfortunately, without Alec there, things get even messier than they were times a hundred.

Magnus gets seriously injured several times including the incident at Pandemonium and is scarred by the Circle member who tries to take his cats eyes for trophies. Something he’s still bitter about by the way. He winds up calling on Catarina to help him heal (getting one HELL of a lecture for it™) after he receives a deathly injury trying to save Clary at one point. Whom he now feels responsible for, as he’s the one whose been helping Jocelyn hide things from her all these years.

However, that comes back to bite him after Clary attempts to attack Camille and her vampires upon learning Simon’s location after he’s accidentally kidnapped as a rat during Magnus’ party. The ensuing event leads to a bloodbath as Jace has brought armed shadowhunters with him.

The ensuing incident is Shakespeare Levels of Stupid™ and ends in several vamps and shadowhunters lyng in pools of their own blood, with Camille exiting stage left before the shadowhunters backup arrives.

Izzy is the only one left able to stand and manages to locate Simon, while giving orders to ensure Raphael and the remaining members of the clan aren’t slaughtered.

Incidentally, Magnus drains himself trying to keep Jace, Clary and Simon alive, only succeeding with Clary as Simon, who was slowly turning into a vampire anyway, dies, as does Jace temporarily, for about 2 minutes, before Izzy and the team are able to get his heart going and get him back to the Institute.

It’s enough for Alec to feel his pain and take notice and he sends a fire message to check up on things. Then gets a vague version of events from Izzy about a raid on the NYC vamps and is suspicious, but he can’t rush home without having more proof that something’s up, because his parents put Jace in charge. Though he is chomping at the bit to know why the hell his parabatai rune was filled with blinding pain for a couple of minutes.

Not that its unusual given Jace’s proclivity towards reckless activity on the job.

Jace eventually sends Alec a fire message letting him know that he’s fine and that he has everything “under control”, (even as he’s following Clary into the next badly thought out scheme to rescue and wake her mother).

Alec severely doubts this given the partial fading of their rune on his abdomen and the pain that came with it, but again, he isn’t going to supersede Jace when Maryse left him in charge, even if he feels Jace is being stupidly reckless.

Meanwhile, Luke Garroway becomes involved with trying to help Clary save her mother, Camille is still imprisoned by Raphael for turning Simon and turning the eyes of the Clave in their direction, and events progress in slightly altered fashion as Alec isn’t there to cover for everyone by editing the paperwork to make it seem like the Institute is still under control and the Clave get involved in the Mortal Mess™ much much sooner.

After fighting his ex and her clan, Magnus is weary both physically and mentally, and its after several more less than diplomatic incidents involving saving Clary and Jace’s asses that result in injury for himself and death for several shadowhunters attempting to intervene, including Raj, that Magnus himself retreats.

Around this time Lydia and the Inquisitor show up like the Bureaucratic Apocalypse™ after an incident with Valentine leaves Jace in less than stellar condition and unable to run the Institute for the time being. Izzy is put on trial after she tries to cover for Clary once more. While Meliorn is caught, tortured, and held as a way to pay the Seelie Queen back for giving the Clave the silent treatment, eventually being shipped off to Idris for possible execution.

Clary is put at loose ends and attempts to get in touch with various members of the Downworld to help her and is forced to realize that no one is willing to do anything without a price. She is eventually forced to cut a deal with Raphael in order to meet with Camille and brokers a deal for the Book of White, so she can get him to help save her mother. Simon willingly sacrifices his claim against Camille for turning him for any chance at saving Jocelyn.

Meanwhile Clary is also trying to find the Mortal Cup and attempting to beat Valentine to it with Luke’s help. Only their luck seems to have run out, because they instead encounter Dot, whose under Valentine’s control, and snatches the tarot card with the Cup in it the moment Clary and Simon are outside the precinct. Leaving Clary to call after her and break down when she realizes that was her last chance at saving her mother and Izzy. They go to Magnus, but it’s too late as the trial is already in progress.

Clary is also forced to give up the Book of White once Magnus discovers she has it as, a.) it can only be used by a warlock and b.) Magnus refuses to allow for it to ever fall into Valentine’s hands, knowing full well that it could if left in Clary’s possession. Something that inevitably pisses Clary off and leads to a fight that ends in Magnus banishing her and Simon from the loft as he continues to lick his wounds with a bottle of wine.

Alec hears about Izzy’s trial and arrives at the same time as his parents do, only to discover that Izzy’s already been convicted and is set to be deruned.

Maryse acts coldly toward Izzy and disowns her after she’s deruned, while Robert seems at a loss and hugs his daughter goodbye before leaving her to her fate.

Alec goes to see Jace, while wanting to punch him despite his multiple lacerations and broken bones, then goes to the roof and bloodies his hands shooting every single arrow he could find in the armory off into the abyss of the wards around the Institute.

Maryse attempts to convince Alec that he should marry to save the Lightwood name and Max’s future, trying to place the blame on everyone except Jace and surprisingly ignores Clary’s part the events, causing Alec to almost completely lose it at his mother.

But he _doesn’t_.

He tells Maryse he’ll think about it.

He watches his parents leave for Idris again after Izzy is banished and Imogen Herondale leaves feeling the Lightwood’s sufficiently punished after the loss of their unstable daughter.

Alec watches and waits, playing the obedient son. He even receives a modicum of comfort from his mother at not having been here to stop “Izzy” from disobeying the Clave and tarnishing their name even further.

No mention of Jace, Alec thinks as cold fury runs through his veins. _Jace_ hadn’t been deruned even though _he’d_ been the Head of the Institute while this was all going on.

Alec’s even more infuriated when he discovers that Hodge had faked his death during an incident with Valentine and actually gone to join him, Valentine having finally given him the means to break his curse.

That night he kills an entire hoard of ravener demons by himself as the rest of his team looks on. Never let it be said that the bow was Alec’s only weapon of proficiency.

In the end Alec finds someone who knows what’s been going on. Leaves everything until his parents retreat back to their friends in Idris and put him temporarily in charge of the Institute. It takes almost three weeks, but Alec patiently waits, while he tracks Izzy and finds out the truth behind his parabatai’s actions.

When he does, he immediately has Clary placed in a holding cell and has Simon banished from the Institute and sent back to the Dumort. Something that prompts an apologetic Luke to meet with Alec a day later and plead their case.

Alec is having none of it by this time and now that his parents are gone, he finds where Izzy has been staying, at the home of one of her friends among the fae and brings her to the only place he can think of.

Getting on his knees in front of the High Warlock of Brooklyn to beg for help for his sister is one of the most difficult things Alec has ever had to do, but he’d do anything for Izzy, even if it meant groveling to the Seelie Queen herself to ensure his sister’s safety.

Magnus is impressed and more than a little attracted to this dark, daring, shadowhunter, a Lightwood no less, with a heart on his sleeve and a willingness to preserve something more than just his family’s name. He acquiesces to Alec’s request to protect Izzy and agrees to send her to live with his friend Ragnor in London to keep her away from the rest of the Downworld for the time being.

Except Raphael apparently, who eventually meets Izzy when visiting Ragnor. Something that leads to a relationship between the two and, much to Alec’s worry, Raphael eventually turning Izzy and allowing her to join his clan.

Izzy eventually kills Camille when she attempts to retake the clan with the help of her new fledglings. Raphael makes her his second in command after that and puts her in charge of Simon. Something that makes both of their lives easier, as Simon is still worried about/pining for Clary, and Simon much more willing to spend time in Dumort, his cover story to his mother and sister being that he lives with his girlfriend on the East Side and that they travel with his band together quite frequently. Something that holds up for quite a while and gives them time to set up a more plausible situation for him to come and go in the mundane world. Though Raphael still mutters his misgivings about Simon’s attachments within earshot of everyone whenever he gets the chance.

Magnus for his part, also heals Jace despite not being asked to and attempts to get to know Alec more. Only things with Valentine heat up pretty quickly. Alec allows Clary out of holding, but puts on her probation and threatens to strip her of her runes if she keeps putting them in dangerously unwarranted situations. He flat out refuses to let her out of the Institute until she proves herself with weapons, runes, and strategy.

Although a defiant Jace runs off with her two days later in an attempt to thwart Valentine’s latest attempt at getting the Soul Sword, which predictably ends with the two of them captured.

While Valentine gets ahold of the Soul Sword and forces Jace to use it by threatening Clary and messing with his head. By this point Jace thinks he’s in love with his sister and Clary is forced to watch Valentine experiment on her comatose mother, so they’re both pretty messed up mentally.

Jace uses the Soul Sword causing Downworlders in the surrounding area near Valentine’s boat to die en masse. Clary receives several visions from Ithuriel at once and starts having a seizure after being completely overwhelmed.

By now the NYC Downworld is shaken and restless, causing some serious showdowns between them and the Clave both physically and politically, and with Consul Malachi unwilling to sede anything to the Downworld war seems imminent.

Alec is feeling incredibly desperate by now and in spite of the unbearable pain brought on daily by his parabatai rune, he soldiers on and once more tries to reason with both the Clave and the Downworld. He even attempts to push forward his idea for a Downworlder Cabinet, but the proposal falls on deaf ears.

Finally, Alec’s had enough.

He goes to Magnus with an idea. He’s got nothing left to give, except himself and now with Jace gone and the situation nearly unsalvageable, there’s nothing to be gained by holding back any longer.

Izzy is a Downworlder now. He can’t abandon her. Knows that Max is safe where he is in Idris and likely to stay that way.

He goes to the High Warlock to ask for a meeting with each of the local Downworld leaders, including Magnus.

Alec gives them himself, runes and all, swearing fealty to them if they’ll back down from declaring war on the Clave.

Magnus is incredibly awed and twice as worried and convinces Alec to add a few conditions to his bargain, ensuring he’s safe and not used entirely as a source for food, experimentation, or intercourse. In fact, Magnus writes out a detailed contract and insists on being present during Alec’s other meetings with Downworld Leaders to iron things out as neatly as possible, offering to host _their_ shadowhunter in his loft or any of his various dwellings for the forceable future to ensure the implementation of the contract.

Alec feels the pain in his parabatai rune start to ease as all of his runes slowly take on a rainbow sheen, representing the different factions of the Downworld as they, one by one, accept his, contractually conditioned, oath of fealty.

The Seelie Queen is hella amused by all of this, though her demeanor turns severe when she requests that Alec free Meliorn from Idris, which he does just before giving the Clave a copy of his contract.

Imogen Herondale is livid, but even she and the Consul can’t say anything against it if it prevents a war. Even his runes now technically belong to the Downworlders.

Although, Magnus did make sure to include the fact that Alec’s oath was specifically to him, not just any High Warlock of Brooklyn, in case someone should attempt a coup thinking they’d get Alec as part of some conquest. Likewise, with Raphael and Luke in an attempt to keep stability in the Downworld for as long as possible.

Meliorn is released and the Seelie Queen declares herself satisfied with their deal. Though she does call Alec every now and then to do random things like paint her nails and sing to her favorite magical trees, the contract actually giving him some partial protection against the magic meant to confuse travelers to the faerie wood.

Luke calls him to help Maia out at the bar and to act as a bouncer for rowdy vamps and shadowhunters if need be.

While Raphael usually leaves him alone, and Alec’s only invitations to Dumort are from Izzy who’s usually attempting to set him up with eligible Downworlders. Though she’s secretly trying to make Magnus jealous enough to ask him out. Something Alec roles his eyes at when he finds out, because he and Magnus have already been on several dates without her knowing.

Izzy stops once she realizes that Alec’s living with Magnus and that he seems happier every time she sees him. She finds out the truth when she meets Magnus again through Raphael and the two of them start going on shopping dates, with Izzy continuously redecorating Dumort with her finds, much to Raphael’s chagrin.

Alec becomes the Angel of Brooklyn, something that’s both a running joke and a very serious advantage to the Downworld.

Jace and Clary are still on their minds, but any attempt to rescue them has failed and eventually when Valentine attempts to use the Mortal Instruments to make his wish, Alec, Magnus, Izzy, Raphael, and several Seelie’s are there to kill him.

Alec uses the Angel’s Wish to free anyone captured by Valentine and heal them of any physical ailments, meaning Jace, Clary, Jocelyn, Dot, Madzie, and any other Downworlders.

The Circle is captured by the Downworld and only some of them are turned over to the Clave…with Maryse Lightwood attempting to plead for clemency. Though she’s barely hanging on as Robert’s filed for divorce and they’re both fighting for custody of Max, their last remaining child. They had already disowned Alec for giving himself over to the Downworld.

Jace goes over to the Downworld despite being threatened with banishment and charges of treason, while Luke takes Jocelyn and Clary into his pack to hide them, which lasts only so long as Jocelyn is eventually arrested and Clary reluctantly asks Alec for help.

Alec, though not on the best of terms with her, agrees. He has some sympathy for her suffering at the hands of her own father and losing nearly everything to her own misguided mistakes, even if he is still slightly bitter about her part in Izzy’s banishment. He manages to get Luke into the New York Institute and Luke turns Jocelyn at her request, releasing her from her obligations a shadowhunter, forcing the current Head of the Institute to release her to her new Alpha. Some of the Clave considering it punishment enough to suffer the disgrace of becoming a Downworlder.

Clary receives a vision from Ithuriel creates a powerful alliance rune to be used by Downworlders and shadowhunters to form bonds, specifically for Magnus and Alec’s use as both an apology and a thank you for their help in saving her life and reuniting her family.

Sebastian/Johnathan doesn’t stand a chance, though he does destroy a portion of the Clave and reveals quite a bit of Consul Malachi’s betrayal, outing him to the Clave as a Circle Member, and Imogen Herondale’s own sins…her death serves as the catalyst for Tessa coming to New York and eventually sensing something different about Jace and realizing the Herondale line hadn’t ended with Jace’s real father.

Valentine’s son dies with five of Alec’s arrowheads stuck in his chest as he falls into the harbor and he never makes it back to Edom, his blood never spreading upon the ground in a pentagram to make the needed doorway to summon Lilith to earth.

And Alec, Alec finds himself living in a luxurious loft attending parties at Magnus’ request in between the various coffee, martini, movie, and restaurant outings the High Warlock insists on taking him to. It doesn’t help that Alec has a very hard time saying no to Magnus as all of these requests are made outside of their business contract with one another.

Nightly drinks and dinners slowly seep into hanging out on quiet afternoons and taking turns doing the shopping (yes, Magnus knows he can magic things into the loft quite easily, but he thoroughly enjoys being domestic with Alec) and Alec cleaning the loft in his spare time. All the while they’re facing off against the Clave and fighting Valentine.

Alec can’t help but be charmed by this glitteringly handsome warlock whose given him more kindness than many of his own kind had ever shone him, (with the exception of Hodge, who betrayed them the first chance he got to be by Valentine’s side) and it helps that Magnus seems equally dazzled, going so far as to spend most of his non-working time with Alec.

Alec eventually meets Catarina and Ragnor, who are truly surprised at just how much Magnus has willing done for and given up for this one shadowhunter.

Then Alec joins them for cards one night and they quickly discover how adorably salty he can be, nearly outdoing Ragnor for surliness at one point. Of course, this leads to all of them and Raphael getting completely wasted. The night progressing to the revelation of some of Magnus’ more hilarious adventures and every single embarrassing story they have on him, something that amuses Alec and makes him think of Izzy and Jace.

Ragnor eventually softens towards Alec when he sees him kiss Magnus softly on the forehead before saying goodnight (while drunk out of his mind), surprising Magnus, and Ragnor though he refuses to admit it, before collapsing in the hall and having to be levitated off to bed.

Catarina just winks at both of them before stepping through a portal to go home, causing Magnus to blush for the first time in the better part of a century.

Magnus does actually manage to ask him out a few days later after several teasing fire messages from his dear little cabbage and a few not so subtle hints from Izzy.

So, when Alec is finally officially going out with Magnus and they’re living together as more than just host and permanent houseguest, with Valentine defeated, Sebastian soon to be, and Alec’s first Beltane Night dance with the Seelie’s is over and done with, life surprises them through Clary giving them a more powerful version of the Alliance Rune.

Something that can ensure they’re together forever.

A thing that makes Magnus take their future all the more seriously.

They use the rune the same night a Warlock child is left on the doorstep of the New York Institute and claimed by the High Warlock and his lover soon after.

They’re married in the eyes of the Downworld years before they actually do have an official ceremony. One that quite a few of their adoptive Downworlder children, and Madzie, their favorite adoptive niece through Catarina, are able to attend.

An event made all the more memorable with Alec’s little brother Max attending it as the new Head of the Institute, having parted ways with his parents years earlier.

**Author's Note:**

> Note: So this turned into a monster drabble, because my brain kept adding new facets to this AU.’s logic and would not let up when I tried to write it all out. XD
> 
> This was supposed to be a “failed heroes journey” fic for Jace and Clary, where Alec had to come in and fix what they accidentally, and quite possibly irreparably broke. Since he’d already proven he was willing to give himself up to save his siblings and restore the Lightwood name, I figured it was in character to have him give himself up to help Izzy and quite possibly to stop a war between the two worlds.
> 
> I did it as a writing exercise, but I hope it’s an enjoyable read regardless. ;)


End file.
